Hey monkeys,
Bonuses are coming up for many IB analysts (if we can even call them bonuses this year) and buyside associates and thought now is a good time to bring up this conversation. What are some nice watches that you can wear at every level of your career assuming you don’t come from money and are still budget conscious? What are your favorite watches at different price points (under $500, under $5k, under $20k, $20k+)? What would you absolutely stay away from? Feel free to mention what activity you would pair the watch with e.g., I wouldn’t wear the same watch to a nice dinner that I would on a night I’m getting schwifty in Brooklyn.
As for watches to stay away from: Anything that runs on batteries in this price range- there’s nothing wrong with them, and if you prefer a watch that ticks that is totally fine as your call, but I wouldn’t spend these prices for something like those. If you want a battery powered watch then I’d recommend paying no more than $200. That being said, some great brands include Casio/G-shock, Timex, Citizen.
Maybe some other brands/models to keep away from: Bell & Ross (these watches stand out a bit too much and imo aren’t worth their price tag since the movements aren’t in house), maybe anything Titanium from IWC (the markups are huge and they are known more for their pilots watches made of stainless steel or DLC coated which are more desired). Another brand to stay away from in the top tier pricing could be something like Jacob&Co, Richard Mille, and Hublot- this is probably a hot take because if you have the money to spend on these brands you probably don’t give a fuck what others think, but in the world of finance I think they are out of place and should be more for celebs like movie stars and athletes.
Hope this helps and starts off a great thread!
Great response to start the thread! Curious to hear from others with the same level of passion for watches
+1 for Nomos, big fan of IWC as well personally. Also agreed on staying away from Jacob & Co, Richard Mille, Hublot.
$20k+ my personal grail would be an ALS.
Thought's on Blancpain and Glashutte Original? I think they're both very interesting brands.
I’ve owned both and enjoyed my Glashutte more, although both are solid brands. The fifty fathoms is a nice dive watch, but I like the dressier watches from glashutte more. I feel like they are a great “deal”
Another +1 for Glashutte. Personally lean towards dressier watches so love their stuff.
Glashutte is the "poor" man's Lange, and I mean that in the nicest way possible haha. I love the PanoMaticLunar and it's definitely on my list.
Blancpain has some great history with the Fifty Fathoms, but their dress lineup is a bit lacking, imo.
Wow no love for Omega?
Yeahhh.. probably should have included them especially since I gave Swatch a shout out haha
So I’ll comment on the $20k+. At that level I’d avoid the “jewelry” pieces (I.e. Rolex precious metal Daytona, Cartier, etc).
You have the usual suspects: ALS, Patek, AP. My personal preference would be Patek chronograph, world time, or perpetual, but now you are in the $70-150k range
Mainstream but a bit below: JLC
Then you have your independents which I’d bucket into three groups:
Classic: Voutilainen, Laurent Ferrier, Parmigiani (usually a bit more affordable), Gronefeld
More affordable and a bit different: Moser, Ludovic Ballouard
Crazier stuff: Greubel Forsey, MB&F, Romain Gauthier
Mad props to anyone rocking an MB&F at a Wall Street bank. I'd also add Urwerk and the UN Freak for the crazier stuff.
Grand Seiko should be on everyone's list just for the quality itself
That's a huge miss on my part. Probably the most underrated brand out there given the fact that they have one of the best movements out there in the Spring Drive
Absolutely. I currently have 3 in my collection, such great watches.
Aren’t you scared to get mugged when wearing a nice watch? 😂
This is a joke right? I’m going to take it by the laughing emoji at the end that it is…
No it’s not, I think he just doesn’t do so well with the ladies
wearing a rolex gold datejust is basically asking to get mugged in nyc
wearing any well-known Rolex is
Lol what? I’m out with people who wear recognizable watches all the time and I’ve never once heard of someone having an issue. Maybe in East NY or the South Bronx - definitely not in Lower Manhattan
As long as you aren't wearing a watch thieves know are nice watches (aka any Rolex, a Speedy Pro or AP Royal Oak) you'll be fine. I can guarantee you no one knows 90% of the watch brands mentioned in this thread and definitely won't think that they are 4 or 5 figures. When I tell people I like watches and some of them can be pricey they think that means spending $350 on a watch instead of $50, not spending $12k on one.
For about 5k you can get an Omega Seamaster aqua terra, which I love.
I just stick to my Seiko for more formal occasions and wear a Tag Formula 1 out casually and for work.
Buy what you will like to wear but also understand the stereotype behind what you are going to buy before you buy it.
Personally, a Cartier tank or JLC reverso are amazing dress watches you can take to work or to the bar that show you're a person who's into watches without being flashy or super expensive.
Also not big targets for theft if you stick with stainless steel.
My favorite (and in the $1.5k range) is the Junghans Max Bill Automatic.
This is my travel watch / "beater" (not a true beater watch, but out of my collection it's what I use it as).
A great watch in the 500-1000 range is the Tissot PRX. Great watch with a refined look. Gets compliments from seniors all the time thinking its more expensive than it is.
5k range has the Grand Seikos which are really nice watches that will get the attention of any watch guy, but most people wearing watches that arent really into them wont notice. In that range is also the Omega Speedmaster which is a great choice.
20k range is Rolex territory and if you are just trying to get looks, probably the best choice. It seems like the datejust with the jubilee bracelet and fluted bezel is the common choice for bankers in the 10-20k range. Somewhat flashy and most people would notice it.
Do juniors even care about watches anymore? I haven't met a single junior that actually does care about buying a fancy watch. If anything people go for an Apple Watch and that's about it
Ive had the same observation broadly. Seen a few juniors rock Rolex's which is always cringe. Not IB specific, more in consulting actually, but either way not a good move to rock a Rolly with 3 YOE.
The juniors in my office do. I think 3 of us own Tudor Black Bays, a few others with some Tag's.
That is so BS. Just let people wear whatever they want
Christopher Ward (~$1k) is a great, under-the-radar brand. Also, Seiko Samurai is a great dive watch for ~$300.
I'm in the market for Omega Speedmaster, which will likely run me ~$5-$6k. Aqua Terra is another one I'm debating; nice watch, more subtle.
The new Christopher Ward twelve is fantastic. Love the light blue and the pattern on the dial is sick. Trying to get my hands on one ASAP.
Aren't you concerned about the thickness of the speedmaster? It's thick as shit lol, was a complete deal breaker for me.
People have said it a few times but I think Omega is a great value. I currently wear a more or less vintage Omega, it's an Omega Seamaster Cosmic 2000 from the 70's. Still looks great, I think, and with the stainless steel bracelet I wear it all the time. Great piece and also pretty low key.
Orient, is another decent watch, it was the first watch I really bought for myself. I view it as a starter level automatic watch, you can buy it for under $200 and see if you want to upgrade later but looks great for the price.
My second watch was a Glycine, I think I got mine for around $300. It's own by Invicta but I think still largely independent for the most part. Then I got my Omega.
I don't really pay attention to other peoples watches unless they are wearing something exceptionally different or uncommon etc...so if you want something like that without buying vintage here is my list;
Under $50
- Casio A168
Under $100
- Casio GA2100 Series
Under $250
- Timex Q GMT
Under $500
- Seiko Cocktail Time Series
Under $1000
- Tissot PRX Series
Under $2500
- Junghans Max Bill
Under $5000
- Christopher Ward Bel Canto
Under $10,000
- Cartier Tank
Under $25,000
- A. Lange & Söhne Saxonia Thin
My rec for $250 would be an Orient Bambino for a dressier option. Sports / dive watches don't appeal to me that much in the first place but something about the Timex Q always makes it seem "clownish" (for lack of a better word) to me. Plus the Bambino is automatic, for those that care / have a preference away from quartz.
LOVE my Timex Ironman, been wearing since I was 8. Great and durable watch - the only downside is I can't figure out how to make it stop randomly beeping throughout the day
I want to buy the Omega Seamaster pro. Dial looks awesome with the waves and back is clear so can see the movement which is super cool.
ALSO I WILL LITERALLY BE JAMES BOND “OI, I GOTTA GO AND PROTECT THE QUEEN, BLOODY HELL OF A JOB ‘INNIT. SOUNDS LIKE A JOB FOR BOND, JAMES BOND”
No love for TAG?
The Autavia is a super underrated chrono. Everyone goes for the Monaco because of Breaking Bad and Steve McQueen, but the Autavia is pure class.
Only watch worth wearing: Casio G-Shock
What are your favorite women’s watches at different price points?
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